Sunday, May 01, 2011

Petition to the Dean of Westminster in support of the cartwheeling verger, Ben Sheward

According to widespread reports, the Verger at Westminster Abbey who became a YouTube sensation after he was caught on camera cartwheeling down the aisle following the Royal Wedding has been rebuked by senior clerics at the Abbey.

He has been identified as Ben Sheward, and is reportedly feeling ‘fairly chastened’. He has been forced to take a vow of silence on the matter, forbidden on pain of the rack not to talk publicly about his spontaneous acrobatics.

It is also reported in The Sunday Times (£) that officials from Westminster Abbey have complained to ITV and expressed their disapproval that the excerpt was broadcast. Apparently, it breached the agreement between them, that cameras would be turned off after the wedding service.

Jonathan Munro, the ITV editor in charge of coverage, defended the broadcasting of the clip, saying: “We believe the cartwheeling verger caught the happiness of the whole occasion.”

Not only that, His Grace is of the mind that Prince William's mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, would have loved it. The cartwheel was spontaneous and exuberant: it did indeed capture the mood of the nation and was so utterly and unstuffily Anglican. The Lord turns mourning into dancing (Ps 30:11), and King David danced before the Lord with all his might (2Sam 6:14). Why shouldn't a verger?

The Abbey is a Royal Peculiar: that is to say, its clergy are accountable not to the Bishop of London or the Archbishop of Canterbury but directly to the Monarch. As far as His Grace is aware, no complaints have been made in respect of this verger's behaviour - which constituted an act of worship - and it beggars belief that Abbey officials might think he offended the Queen.

His Grace is minded to write directly to the Dean of Westminster, the Very Revd Dr John Hall, in support of Ben Sheward. His Grace corresponded with the Dean only quite recently, and has direct access via email. Although Mr Sheward is apparently facing no formal disciplinary proceedings, in this instance to be rebuked and forced to take a Trappist vow constitute a chastening too far.

The names of all who sign in the thread below and all comments of support will be appended to His Grace's communication to the Dean. Please tell others of this petition (Twitter #VergerWheel): His Grace would like to give Dr Hall a very clear message.

With respect, you're avoiding the questions: 1) Was he rebuked? 2) Has he been ordered not to speak of his exuberance to the media?

No response was received. His Grace made the point that there was no suggestion of future disciplinary proceedings: this petition is to make it known that he (and some in the media) consider that a rebuke and prohibition on talking to the media are inappropriate responses to this action. The petition stands.

UPDATE (Sat 7 May)

The Abbey have responded fully (and graciously) to His Grace (HERE). This petition is now closed.

I think the verger was great it was a wonderful day a peoples day leave the verger alone and commend him on being one of us he was the only person there not to show his face at an important event but to enjoy it like the bride and groom leave him alone

I remember the late Robert Runcie once said (on Loose Ends, I think) that "people without a sense of humour should never be allowed to run anything". That, too, was a quintessentially Anglican thing to say. At least, I thought so. Not so sure now.

Mind you, it will probably turn out that Mr Sheward has breached some obscure health and safety rule, in which case his punishment must be swift and sure, pour encourager les autres. You can't be too careful.

The verger should be congratulated not censured I had little interest in the wedding, and less in the church, but this bit of joy cast the church in a good light. Censure would merely confirm suspicions that the church is out of touch with reality and frowns on joy.

It must have been quite a stressful few weeks leading up to the wedding and such a relief to see it go so well. I think Ben summed it up perfectly in his cartwheel and surely most people can understand that.

I fully support the cartwheeling verger. Vergers work very, very hard and it's fantastic to see someone expressing such joy after such a fantastic service, which would demand such work and care! Carry on verger! Carry on!

After consulting Wet Blanket, and Without Prejudice to exuberant expressions of joy:

Clergy such as Deans of Peculiars or other places are capable of foolishness, and many under them or at a distance may be inclined to enjoy an opportunity to see them reproved or admonished. If a verger has erred let him be duly corrected; if members of the chapter have erred, let them be corrected by the Dean; if the Dean, by the Queen or her delegate. But let none of them be condemned without being heard in their defence, and merely relying on mischievous hearsay from unreliable and possibly self-serving sources.

Yes, I know the Daily Mail has reported him as having been "carpeted" (is this some sub-Sun attempt at a punning headline?), but before we all jump all over the Dean and Chapter, we ought to ask whether the report is actually true.

The Mail does, after all, have something of a reputation for distorting its reporting of church affairs so as to put the CofE in a poor light.

Is it really possible to believe that the Dean and Chapter are so humourless as to regard this as a disciplinary offence? That would, surely, largely undo the great goodwill that the Abbey has garnered for its wonderful delivery of Friday's joyous event.

I thought it was marvellous to see the verger expressing the relief and joy we all feel after a big event goes off well (I speak as a C of E ordinand). He should in no way be rebuked; it was a great witness to Christian joy.

I expect the verger accurately showed the mood of all those at the Abbey. Sheer relief at how well the wedding had gone. Perhaps the Dean wished he too could have done cartwheels. Even Anglicans need to show joy in church sometimes.

It was joyous and a loveable act. I'm not a Catholic, but an Anglican, but St Theresa of Avila, said "Sisters, let us dance for joy for the Lord" and she did! Please don't punish him for this human act of joy!

I was advised by my Rector that I should remove my cassock before attempting to emulate Ben's example; he is aware that at 73 I might have something of a problem with a landing on an uncarpeted aisle! Those in our congregation fortunate enough to see the clip loved it.Tony Windsor

Whilst I can understand the authorities not wanting this verger to sell his story to the Daily Mail, I find it hard to believe they could possibly be stupid and ignorant enough of contemporary communications to do anything but commend him.

"I went to the Garden of Love, And saw what I never had seen; A Chapel was built in the midst, Where I used to play on the green.

And the gates of this Chapel were shut And "Thou shalt not," writ over the doorSo I turned to the Garden of Love That so many sweet flowers bore.

And I saw it was filled with graves, And tombstones where flowers should be; And priests in black gowns were walking their rounds, And binding with briars my joys and desires."Wm Blake: 'The Garden of Love'

I don't believe that it right for a man of the cloth to be told off for a display of exuberent joy; after all David danced before the Lord and if it was pleasing to God then it must be pleasing to Him now.

OK, I'll ask the question a third time: Is there any evidence that this report is true? It was the Daily Mail, after all; and given their record of mischief-making, creating stories out of nothing, and misrepresenting the affairs of the CofE, I'd like to know why HG or his communicants are giving any credence to this story.

The Mail clearly quotes Abbey staff as to how this verger is feeling. It is not likely they fabricate quotations. There is also the article in The Sunday Times (£) which appears to corroborate a certain small-minded attitude on the part of Abbey officials. But perhaps you don't believe The Sunday Times either. In which case, please don't concern yourself with this post. As a fellow man of the cloth, His Grace is sure that you have far more important things to do.

As far as I am concerned this Verger caught the tone of the country and should be congratulated. Twitter was full of how people thought this occasion was ruined by stuffy clerics, ( not my impression ). This man showed the church has a softer side... Well done fella.

There are many who assert that the Church of England is in the same category as the Laodiceans (Rev 3 v14 ff). On the basis of this action by the Dean (or his HR Department), one could easily believe the assertion to be true.

Thank you for your reply, YG. The Mail does indeed quote (unnamed) Abbey staff saying how this verger is feeling. But what has this got to do with the main allegations, namely that he has been "rebuked by senior clerics" and "forced to take a vow of silence"? There is absolutely nothing in the Mail's article to substantiate this.

(As to the Sunday Times (£), I cannot comment, for I certainly have better things to do with my money if not my time. Perhaps, if it is possible without breaching copyright, you could quote the relevant parts of the article?)

Serious question, YG: why are you determined to believe the Mail's rather silly interpretation of events? Do you have inside information beyond the insubstantial material you have cited?

The verger is 'feeling chastened'; to chasten is to rebuke, discipline; this can only be done by one's superiors; ergo senior clerics rebuked him.

On 'forced to take a vow of silence': the Mail says: "Abbey staff have warned him not to speak publicly about the incident." And further: "We are just trying to keep a lid on this one." 'Forced': coerced or compelled; 'Vow': solemn undertaking; 'silence': abstinence from speech. Ergo, the Verger was instructed not to speak to the media so the Abbey can contain the incident: he was 'forced to take a vow of silence'.

"The cartwheel was spontaneous and exuberant: it did indeed capture the mood of the nation and was so utterly and unstuffily Anglican. The Lord turns mourning into dancing (Ps 30:11), and King David danced before the Lord with all his might (2Sam 6:14). Why shouldn't a verger?"

I agree with His Grace.

Apparently, the senior clerics at the Abbey have no joy or don't recognize it when it's expressed.

The Queen has been attributed to be saying that the wedding was amazing. Cartwheeling vergers are just more amazing. Its too bad they have squashed him. The "squashing" has given the whole thing legs, but then again boring bureaucrats can't think that far ahead. Tell them to back off and yes give him a PR job.

The Verger expressed precisely what I felt at the end of the service, and I was delighted to belong to such a church. I only hope the happy couple have seen the clip - I'm sure they would love it. Count me in.

How utterly sad, and typical of today's end-about-face 'values', that a spontaneous expression of joy and happiness should be frowned upon and disciplined. Thank you to all concerned who put a complete damper on one of the few flawlessly happy days the whole country shared in on Friday - you should all be ashamed of yourselves when there is precious little to be happy about for many...

I am again grateful to YG, but remain concerned that your interpretation bears little relation to the available facts.

There have been matters in the life of my parish, and others of which I know, where it could be said that I or the other clergy affected have been "warned (or advised) not to speak publicly", by those in the Diocese responsible for media relations. (Nothing scandalous, I hasten to add, but a matter of preventing a story spinning out of control in the hands of an overly-imaginative media – as seems to have happened here.) To say that any of us had been "forced to take a vow of silence" would be a ludicrous misrepresentation of what was going on.

Oh, and there is a difference between "feeling chastened" and "being chastened". Are we really being enjoined to take feelings to be the prime criterion of reality?

I'm not here to split hairs, but if the material YG has presented is all there is to it, then I am most concerned that YG is, perhaps unwittingly, collaborating in the public-relations souring of an event which should be a triumph for the CofE.

We had the pleasure of participating in a vergers tour of Westminster Abbey last spring that was led by Ben Sheward. His enthusiasm, and love for his country and his church were very evident in that memorable tour. My children loved him, and we think his spontaneous joy was the icing on the cake for this special occasion

Also, the ceremony and spectacle looked effortless (and flawless) on the day but obviously took an immense amount of effort and planning to achieve that illusion. I'm surprised all of those involved weren't dancing in the aisles at a job incredibly well done.

We are called to be undigniified and without blushing as we worship and praise God. Unfortunately, us Brits are still rather subdued at letting go in our praise and worship. I wish that I was able to cartwheel, because after such a beautiful ocasion, I would love to just express myself in such a way.

This verger should be congratulated in showing people that those in Christian service are normal, fun loving people who are excited about what they believe and express their love of God in a way that is wholly appropriate to them.

Every power and blessing to him.Lets not spoila wonderful day by such stuffiness.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven ... A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance". Once the service was over, it was indeed an appropriate time for the community at the Abbey to dance (or cartwheel) - to release tension and to express joy. What would have been wholly inappropriate before or during the service was delightful afterwards. I support your petition.

So I am a church minister, my wife is a church minister, and we have many church minister friends and church member friends. We all think that the cartwheeling verger expressed perfectly the joy of the day. We need lots more cartwheeling vergers all across the country!

The previous commenter has beaten me to it by alluding to King David's dancing before the Lord, but I'd add this: the Abbey authorities might like to remind themselves how despising David worked out for Michal. And then just /get over themselves/…

It was a happy event for the whole nation. If we are encouraged to have street parties while watching the event on TV across the country, why can't someone who witnessed the event express his happiness for the couple and the success of the event by form of bodily expression?!

After our service yesterday (strictly 1662 - accept no other !) our small congregation discussed Saturday's events and everyone felt that the verger's cartwheeling was an expression of great joy and a lovely touch. Alas, we are all too old for such capers !

If you do not believe it or wish to sign it, you are under absolutely no compulsion to do so. His Grace has made it clear in his post that he intends to send messages of support to the Dean. He has no interest in your (or anyone else's) continuous griping over the veracity of The Daily Mail.

What is the value of a vow that is forced out of a verger by a cleric? Is this another example of false leadership where people merely want to control others lives rather than allowing them to grow the fruits of love from within?

This may well force the verger to rethink his vocation but I would rather the cleric go and do some paperwork where they cannot do damage to someones soul!

As a long-term worshipper at one of the greatest cathedrals in the land, and as someone who loves the dignity and order of Anglican worship, I thought the cartwheeling by the verger was utterly brilliant.

If the clergy at Westminster Abbey have any sense of the public celebration of this joyous wedding, they should be running, not walking, to the Liturgical Commission to petition for such options to be included and encouraged within our worship.

And they should also bear in mind that my own cathedral, Durham, staged a Eucharist, based on the music of Duke Ellington, and with a magnificent, planned and incorporated conclusion of "hoofing" as the recessional down the nave.

The only people that have the right to be offended by this, in my opinion, are the bride and groom. If they're ok with it, then let's stop all this silliness. If they're upset, then let him be dealt with according to the Church's rules on discipline.Personally, I think his actions were fine - a joyous celebration.

I fully agree, we should not have to be serious the whole time and if thaat is how he chose to express his joy who are we to criticise, after all it hurt no-one and brought joy to hugh numbers of people watching on the news and on you tube

This Cat wholeheartedly supports the cartwheeling verger. He does not support stuffy religious people who take themselves - and everyone else - too seriously. Why? - Because they're a living denial of the joy of salvation.

I support Ben. What is life without being able to express joy and exuberance in an individual way at an opportune moment? Lovely eccentric Britishness so please no punishment or chastising, it's not as if the verger cartwheeled after a funeral now is it. And he's brought welcome positive attention to the C of E so hope the Dean can see the good rather than the bad in this.

As a newly-elected Church warden (at 25 years old), attempting a local reformation of some rather entrenched attitudes, the #VergerWheel gave me a lot of hope! However, the thought that such a spontaneous expression of joy would earn a reprimand and, further still, to be silenced leaves me feeling quite cold. I can only hope and pray that the folk at Westminster aren't more concerned about counting tassles....

Benjamin is an excellent representative of the Abbey. I have taken tour groups to the Abbey many times and always hope to be in Benjamin's group. He is fun, informative and a great guide. This cartwheel just shows how much he loves the Abbey and celebrating God. I support His Grace in his position in regard to Benjamin. What kind of world will it be when joy can't be expressed in whatever form it presents itself?

Wow. The CofE is as uptight as we hear about in the States! This Episcopal priest thinks you're INSANE to discipline. If you're wanting to fill you're pews, squelching the playful spirit is no way to live into a posture of radical welcome. Then again, perhaps that's what you're NOT about. Either way, I'm disgusted and disappointed by even the suggestion that you discipline your verger. Long live cartwheeling vergers!!!

About His Grace:

Archbishop Cranmer takes as his inspiration the words of Sir Humphrey Appleby: ‘It’s interesting,’ he observes, ‘that nowadays politicians want to talk about moral issues, and bishops want to talk politics.’ It is the fusion of the two in public life, and the necessity for a wider understanding of their complex symbiosis, which leads His Grace to write on these very sensitive issues.

Cranmer's Law:

"It hath been found by experience that no matter how decent, intelligent or thoughtful the reasoning of a conservative may be, as an argument with a liberal is advanced, the probability of being accused of ‘bigotry’, ‘hatred’ or ‘intolerance’ approaches 1 (100%).”

Follow His Grace on

The cost of His Grace's conviction:

His Grace's bottom line:

Freedom of speech must be tolerated, and everyone living in the United Kingdom must accept that they may be insulted about their own beliefs, or indeed be offended, and that is something which they must simply endure, not least because some suffer fates far worse. Comments on articles are therefore unmoderated, but do not necessarily reflect the views of Cranmer. Comments that are off-topic, gratuitously offensive, libelous, or otherwise irritating, may be summarily deleted. However, the fact that particular comments remain on any thread does not constitute their endorsement by Cranmer; it may simply be that he considers them to be intelligent and erudite contributions to religio-political discourse...or not.

The Anglican Communion has no peculiar thought, practice, creed or confession of its own. It has only the Catholic Faith of the ancient Catholic Church, as preserved in the Catholic Creeds and maintained in the Catholic and Apostolic constitution of Christ's Church from the beginning.Dr Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1945-1961

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